SHEDS ON WHARVES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 118, 21 May 1938, Page 20

SHEDS ON WHARVES.

ARE THEY FACTORIES? COMPRESSING WOOL BALES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. A claim, the ffecTslon on which will affect harbour boards throughout New Zealand, was heard to-day, before Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court. The case was one in which W. F. Ash by, inspector of factories, proceeded against the Wellington Harbour Board under the tactories Act, 1921-22. Plaintiff contended that the sheds used by the harbour board for wool "dumpin o"' were factories within the meaning of the Act. The magistrate's decision was reserved. Should it be in favour of plaintiff, the board will have to pay increased wages to men working during Christmas and other holidays. Much of the work is done during holiday time, and the number of men employed in the sheds is considerable. The facts of the case, which were admitted by both parties, were stated j as follows:—The board owned and controlled six sheds in which there were wool presses operated by hydraulic power for ' dumping." "Dumping" was explained as compressing bales to reduce their bulk for shipment overseas. During the wool season, from the end of October until the end of April, bales of wool were purchased by representatives of overseas manufacturers. The bales were then sent in their uncompressed form into oue of the six sheds to await loading. About 5000 bales were dumped after each wool sale and during last year about 128,000 bales were dumped by the board. During the months of" the year outside the wool season the sheds were used as ordinary cargo sheds. The buildings were previously registered as a factory, but had not been so registered since March 31, 193/, stated Mr. Asliby in his submissions. The board refused to renew the registration or, the ground that the operations carried out, which had not changed from those of previous years, did not bring the premises within the definition of a factory in the An.